Bad Timing
by Sol4rpleXus
Summary: Upon spotting a hostile gunner, Snippy hurried behind the nearest car to save his head. Too late however he noticed that the gunner had scored a hit on his leg. Will he make it out of this alive? SnippyWhump
1. Chapter 1

**This is a completely raw and unedited roleplay dialogue 'fanfiction' written by ask-irl-snippy and ask-irl-engie, so don't expect much quality in this one.  
**

**It is written in present tense and in the style of a roleplay, so it is completely different from what I normally write.**

**Dialogues are written without quotes and actions are written in****_ italic_****. Point of view is separated by lines and is constantly switching between Snippy and Engie.  
**

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

_Caught in a hearty small-talk with a stranger, Snippy walks down the street alongside the female companion he met a few days ago. She'd been sharing her findings with him and proved to mean him no harm, so he decided to allow her to stick around with him while the rest of his crew wasn't around._

I tell you, in these post-apocalyptic times, you can never be sure. I'd say most of the people you meet will want to murder and rob you.

You can't trust anyone, especially not people who seem irrationally nice to you, people who seem irrationally mean to you, aliens, giant monster worms, strangers in general or that guy over there crouching behind that broken wall and looking like he has a rifle aimed at us- Ooooh fuck…

_Snippy wraps his arms around the girl as the gun goes off, and pulls her down behind a car for cover._

_Seconds later he sits up and leans against the car, clutching his left calf and groans._

Augh… that bastard... he shot me in the leg.

Don't worry... I'll be fine. Maybe not up for a sprint right now, but I'm good.

However, that gunner will be here soon, and then we _really_ have a problem. I would shoot him, but all I have is this dull trowel Captain gave me.

Listen, you mustn't let him get you! Run, as long as you still can and don't look back!

* * *

**Chapter 1  
**

* * *

Bad luck? No, simply bad timing. A hostile gunner managed to land a hit on my leg, and it's not looking good for me.

After sending my protégée away, I stayed behind the car that should give me protection for a little longer. There is not much I can do to defend myself against the gunner who is coming dangerously close.

As fate will, I cannot fight, nor can I run in this state.

I guess this is it… this is where I die.

* * *

_Engie rushes to the sniper's side, slouches over and pants heavily._

I… I heard gunshots, and then moments later… someone ran by, so distressed that they nearly barreled right into me… What the hell is going on?

_Upon lifting his head he notices the trail of blood drops leading to his teammate._

…Snippy?

_Fearing the worst, Engie steps closer and peers over him, spotting the steadily bleeding wound on his leg._

Oh crap, you've been hit! What happened? Ugh… We've got to get a tourniquet on this, even if it's makeshift. Just stay with me—talk—while I find something.

_The engineer removes his backpack and kneels down to rummage through it._

* * *

Wow Gromov… you were one lucky bastard making it here without getting your head blown off.

Goddamn it… this hurts like hell.

Be careful about lifting your head too high, I'm quite sure that hostile gunner, the guy who did this to me, is still somewhere back there, unless…

_Snippy hears a familiar roar._

Uhm… was that Photoshop that I just heard?

…

Okay if that monster worm is making its rounds back there, I'm sure he already ran away; if he didn't get eaten beforehand… In either case we should be safe.

…

_While Engie is searching his backpack, Snippy takes a deep breath and slightly turns his leg to look at the ugly wound, moaning at the horrible pain it emits._

Hey, uh… Got anything for the pain…?

I don't… feel so good…

* * *

_Engie extracts a black shirt from his backpack._

Eureka.

Hmm…

It's my only other shirt, but whatever. As for the pain, um… Damn it, all the pain killers are in the first aid kit back at our base.

Oh wait…

_Setting the shirt aside, the scientist continues to rummage through his belongings._

But yeah… That was Photoshop all right. I know that roar better than I'd like to… Considering what just went down here, though, for once it's actually a relief to hear it. I hope she catches that asshole and gnaws his bones clean. Another threat is the last thing we need.

Ah, here it is.

_He holds up a plastic bottle._

I use this on lacerations I sustain while constructing those ridiculous contraptions for Captain. It's a topical anaesthetic and an antiseptic. Always does the trick. Unfortunately, it may not help as much in this case since the injury on your leg is far more severe than what it's intended for… It'll have to do, though. Hopefully it at least alleviates the pain enough for you to move, because we should definitely get out of here ASAP.

Okay, this might sting a bit…

_Engie points the bottle at his comrade's ailment and sprays it several times with the agent._

Good. Judging by your flinching, it reached the wound. Now hold still while I wrap this up…

_He stashes the bottle and twists the shirt around Snippy's leg, fastening it with a knot._

There. I'm not _that_ kind of doctor, but this bandage looks pretty decent. How does it feel?

* * *

_Snippy gasps for air and twists from the intense pain shooting up from his leg._

Ugh… t-thanks-s f-for bandaging my leg…. I've lost quite a bit of blood, but I t-think I s-should be able to walk.

_The sniper sighs and rests for a few seconds, trying to calm down his unstable breathing a bit, still trembling from agitation and shock._

Y-you are right… we s-should get away from h-here… It is-s not safe s-staying out here for t-too long.

_Slowly he contracts his legs and proceeds to stand up, but as he is overwhelmed by sudden nausea he just manages to lean back onto the car to avoid toppling over, and gasps for air._

I-it is okay… I'm a-alright, just f-feeling a bit light headed. D-d-don't wo-rry…. I'll manage to… walk back to t-the base… on my own… See, I can stand, t-that means I'll be j-just fine.

_Absently he sighs before his leg suddenly gives in and he sinks back down to the ground._

Ouch, goddamn it… sorry this is so embarrassing….

Can you give me a hand?

* * *

Hey, don't worry about it. You've been through the wringer. Let's just get out of here.

_Engie crouches, positions Snippy's left arm over his shoulders and grasps his right hand._

On "3."  
1… 2… _3!_

_The engineer slowly but vehemently hoists his companion from the snow, careful not to cause any additional suffering._

Man, your breathing sounds terribly labored… Just walk to the best of your ability. Lean on me as much as you have to.

Let's go.

_They begin to walk and Snippy lets out an increasingly strained groan with each step._

Uh… Listen. I know I'm generally not the most optimistic person, and for valid reasons… But you know what? I know we are going to make it back. That is irrefutable. Because—

_Suddenly, Snippy drops to the ground, clutching his blood-stained leg._

Ahh, balls!

_Engie attempts to help him up, but the sniper's trembling knees buckle and he slides back down._

I'm not going to leave you so you better get up, Charles!

_He tries a second time, but to no avail; the pain is just too agonizing for Snippy to even stand._

Come on, hell if I'm carrying—  
Oh screw it.

Stay like that…

_Engie kneels with his back to Snippy, grabs his right arm and puts it over his shoulder._

I saw this in a movie once. Haven't done it before, but I suppose there's a first time for everything, isn't there?

_Next he grabs his right leg and leans forward, placing it over his other shoulder._

Now I just get a firm grip of your wrist and…

_With that, Engie uses every ounce of strength in his legs to stand up, bearing the weight of his injured teammate on his shoulders._

Ugh… Well, you definitely weigh more than my backpack, but I think I can manage. You still conscious? If so, keep an eye out for me, will ya?

* * *

_As Engie makes his way down the street with Snippy on his shoulders, his comrade eventually starts talking between labored breaths._

I feel terrible for… being disabled like this and… it sucks that you have to… carry me because I can't walk.

But you should know that…. I am very grateful for your help, so…

Thanks Gromov… I really owe you one… for this.

_Engie gives him a pat on his good leg, and Snippy thinks he would have seen a smile on the engineer's face too, if it wasn't covered by a gas mask._

See that stop sign over there…? Just about 500 meters more and… we should be home.

* * *

Nah, you don't owe me anything… Except for a shirt, ha.

_Suddenly, a piercing screech spans the wasteland._

What… the hell was that?

_Engie stops to scan their surroundings and spots a gray blob flailing about in the distance._

…

Oh no. No no no. Please don't be what I think it is.

_The blob settles down and fixes its beady blue eyes in their direction._

Yep… It's Photoshop.

Great.

Okay, don't panic. Maybe she won't see us if we keep quiet and don't move.

_The colossal worm slowly inches closer, but pauses and hacks profusely, like a cat with a hairball._

Huh, what's bugging her? _Engie mumbles with a short laugh._

_Photoshop then whips around, belting out a deafening shriek, and fiercely races right at them._

GAAAAAH!

_Engie dashes off into the city, running as fast as he can without throwing his injured teammate from his shoulders._

Damn it all! Can this bloody day get any worse?!

_Just then, he turns right and…_

AUGH!

_The unsuspecting engineer loses his footing and tumbles down into a ditch._

Sigh… I had to ask.  
Oh crap, Snippy!

_He staggers to his feet and looks around frantically but there is no sign of the sniper anywhere._

Snippy?!

_A faint moan is heard from the drainage pipe and he rushes to investigate._

Phew… There you are. Quick, we need to—

_Flinching at the ferocious roar that interrupts him, Engie turns to see Photoshop sliding into the ditch._

SON OF H!

_He crawls into the drainage pipe, pushing Snippy up against a heap of junk to make just enough room for them both._

I'm about to contradict what I said earlier, but… we are so screwed.

_Photoshop wriggles up to the opening, tilts her head and utters a gentle "Mrow?"_

_Engie tries to remain calm and tentatively waves at the mutant._

H-hello…

_She pokes her head inside and starts to sniff the fur on his parka._

Uhh…

_She snivels a bit, pulls back and sneezes._

So, Snippy, which news do you think will be more devastating to Pilot: "Your disgusting pet devoured your teammates" _or_ "Your disgusting pet has a cold"?

_Photoshop snarls and begins to gag._

Oh, correction: we're gonna get puked on… and then get eaten.

_The gargantuan worm hacks once more, retching out a pair of shoes and a rifle, both drenched in repulsive goo._

Ugh… Wait.  
So she did eat that bastard!  
I'd celebrate, but chances are, we're next.

_Photoshop pokes her head back inside and continues to sniff Engie._

Starting with me, I'm guessing.

_She bears her many jagged rows of teeth and presses against his respirator._

Y-yep…

_Engie squints and quivers as the worm strokes him with her broad, slimy tongue._

Urrrgh…  
Just get it over with already.

_She pulls away, whines_ Mrrrowl? _and nudges him._

What? What do you want?!

_Lowering her head, Photoshop nudges him again._

Oh. Um…

_Engie hesitantly reaches out and pets her._

Er, that?

_Photoshop purrs contently and nuzzles his hand, then slithers away._

Uh, Charles…

What just happened?

…

Forget it. The beast is gone now. Let's get out of this putrid thing and go home.

_He climbs out of the drainage pipe and helps Snippy out._

Here, you can put this to better use than me.

_He picks up the gooey rifle and hands it to the sniper._

…After cleaning it, of course.

_Then Engie hoists the weary man up on his shoulders again and they continue their trek back to base._

* * *

_Snippy stirs to find the least straining position on top of Engie's shoulders as he is being carried closer to the base. _

_The day has been a rough one. Snippy is far too tired to talk more than necessary, and the exhaustion his injury brought doesn't allow him to do a lot more than focusing to keep his grasp on the rifle Engie gave him._

_His vision is fuzzy, still his head is not hurting nearly as bad as the gunshot wound on his left leg. _

_A few times Engie nudges him, asking if he is still conscious, but Sniper is far too tired to speak, so he just responds with a soft moan. _

_The loss of blood and the pain have made him feeling light-headed, and Snippy puts all his focus into staying conscious._

_At some point he manages to make out landmarks that tell him they are pretty close to the base. _

_Almost there…_

* * *

**_To be continued... (if Engie is up for it xD)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Okay so this is REALLY old, but seeing that people are still reading this story (and because the second part was nearly finished) I wanted to complete this now. I added a few more words to finish this thing up and end it. It's not that long, but hopefully satisfying enough for my dear readers. Enjoy._**

**_(Credits for the first part with Engie go to Creep)_**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Today's chain of events have taken their toll on Engie, too, who sluggishly presses onward in spite of his sprained ankle.

"Phew… Alright, if I remember correctly… "

He comes to a halt in the center of what used to be an intersection and glances around.

"There it is. "

Engie heads west upon spotting a familiar sight.

"That stupid mannequin… Captain dressed it up and left it at the bus stop. I don't know what he thinks it's waiting for, but I'd rather it stand there forever instead of hover over me while I sleep.

…Oh, finally. I see the steps. Hang in there, Snippy, we'll be home in a matter of minutes."

The sniper is silent, although Engie can still perceive his shallow breaths.

He trudges over to the wide flight of stairs outside of their base and climbs them, progressing the irritation of his ankle with each step.

"Agh, freaking hell. Any other day that short hike is a breeze, but—"

Suddenly, Pilot bursts out of the front door and leaps over the stairs like a deer.

"You bumbling wackjob! You nearly slammed into us!"

However the aviator doesn't even appear to acknowledge their presence and bolts off down the street.

"Ugh... Well, at least we won't have to put up with him for a while. Captain, on the other hand…"

Engie enters the burned out building, closing the door behind him with his foot.

"Captain?

…Huh.  
No prank or flamboyant greeting. He must not be here right now."

The engineer kneels down and gently props Snippy up in a corner.

"First aid kit's upstairs… Try to stay awake, okay? I'll be right back."

* * *

Since Engie set him down on the floor, Snippy finds it hard to maintain focus. As colorful swirls slowly start to obscure his vision, he tries to estimate how much blood had he lost. It must have been something close to a liter.

Considering he is just sitting there, his heart is working really hard on delivering enough oxygen to his head but it doesn't seem to be enough.

_Hang in just a little longer... Gromov will be back any minute,_ he thinks to himself.

By taking deep breaths he hopes to improve his state, but it only makes it worse.

Rising his hand up to his head, he looses the straps of his face gear and pulls his respirator down while he tries to come up with something, although he's not quite in the condition to do so right now.

Feeling his consciousness fading, he drops to the side, but doesn't dare to close his eyes for longer than a second. Strange enough it seems to help, and his vision slowly starts to clear again.

As he hears footsteps he looks up, watching Engie coming down the stairs with a bunch of stuff and bottles in his arms. The moment he spots the sniper he calls out to him and tentatively picks up the pace, his gait looking strained and one sided.

The engineer kneels down beside him and puts down the stuff, before he helps Snippy to sit back up again.

"Thanks, I'm alright... Just feeling a little... dehydrated."

The engineer takes note of that and opens a bottle of water for him, which the sniper gladly accepts. Carefully he takes a few swigs, before he hands it back.

"Don't worry mate... everything is going to be alright soon. This is going to hurt, but I will do my best to fix your leg back up," Engie promises him, and begins his treatment on his comrade's wounded leg.

Despite the pain Snippy feels a lot calmer now that Gromov is back, and after all they've been through he has a feeling he can put trust in the engineer's words. The sniper knows that he will take good care of him and won't let him down; and that thought alone is enough to give Snippy the confidence he needs as the other man brings a needle down to the gash on his leg.

* * *

**Epilogue**

* * *

Engie worked fast and efficiently, his patient managing to hold still for most of the treatment; though minutes before he was done, Snippy passed out. Engie quickly finished his work and cut the threat before he woke Snippy up, who seemed far too exhausted to even speak a single word now.

Quickly he cleaned the stitched up leg from blood and carefully bandaged it, then he helped him walk to the sofa, where the sniper fell asleep almost instantly. Gromov covered him with any blanket he could find, and to make sure Snippy would drink enough, he left the bottle of water on the nearest table.

Engie sat down on the couch and observed the man's breathing for a little longer to ensure that he would be alright. Just as he was about to leave - and he wasn't sure if the sniper had even been awake in that second - he heard him mumbling a quiet "thank you".

Engie looked back at him with a smile. "You're welcome," he shortly replied, before he left the room.


End file.
